Health News 01/2013

New Year's Eve is a time to celebrate the new year and look forward to a new beginning. But, for some, New Year's Eve means pounding down the alcohol. Maybe going out and chugging that tenth beer with those shots of tequila seemed like a good idea, but ...(Jan 1, 2013, Richmond County Daily Journal)

PHOENIX - Attorneys for the state and abortion foes are asking a federal appeals court to let it cut off federal and state funding for Planned Parenthood because the agency also offers abortions. In legal briefs filed with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the ...(Jan 1, 2013, Arizona Daily Star)

How to Keep Your New Year's Resolution

Are you making a resolution this year? Do you want to lose weight, gain a new skill or organize your house? Whatever your resolution is, here are some tips to help you stick to it throughout the year. 1. Make it attainable. Be sure that your resolution is ...(Jan 1, 2013, Patch.com)

FDA approves first new TB drug in decades

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday said that it has approved Johnson & Johnson's (US:JNJ) Sirturo for the treatment of multidrug resistant tuberculosis, the first new drug aimed at the disease in decades. TB affected ...(Jan 1, 2013, MarketWatch)

FDA clears Salix anti-diarrheal for HIV patients

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first anti-diarrheal drug for HIV/AIDS patients, Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd.'s (NASDAQ:SLXP) Fulyzaq. The drug, also known as crofelemer, is meant to relieve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea in patients ...(Jan 1, 2013, MarketWatch)

LAHORE: Days after an adulterated cough syrup caused the death of 40 people, a senior Pakistani official has contended that an ingredient imported from India to make the medicine was to blame, a claim described as "ridiculous" by the drug manufacturing ...(Jan 1, 2013, Times of India)

Concerted efforts to curb food allergy need of the hour

MUMBAI: A recent scientific conference in Hyderabad emphasized the need for the country to be better equipped clinically and diagnostically to deal with the emerging problem of food allergies. Experts called for a holistic approach to understand and treat ...(Jan 1, 2013, Times of India)

Duke hospitals restrict visitors because of flu

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Visitors are now restricted at all Duke University Health System hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers because of the flu. The News & Observer of Raleigh reports ( (link) VeaXZW) that restrictions went into place Wednesday ...(Jan 1, 2013, WANE)

Pakistan child measles deaths surge in 2012

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Measles cases surged in Pakistan in 2012, and hundreds of children died from the disease, an international health body said Tuesday. In recent days Pakistani officials said they launched an immunization campaign to reach ...(Jan 1, 2013, Salon)

Shaping new diet and exercise habits: Tips for success

Three experts weigh in on ways to successfully shape new diet and exercise habits for a healthy new year. Times Square. People cheered in New York's Times Square as the traditional crystal ball dropped to mark the start of 2013. (Photo: Emmanuel Dunand ...(Jan 1, 2013, USA TODAY)

Giant pandas may aid in fight against drug-resistant bacteria

Giant pandas may be the source of a new antibiotic, according to scientists at Nanjing Agricultural University in China. The Telegraph reported that a compound called cathelicidin-AM found in the giant panda's bloodstream has the ability to kill bacteria and ...(Jan 1, 2013, CBS News)

Sperm donor for lesbian couple's baby ordered by court to pay child support ...(Jan 1, 2013, New York Daily News)

Clinton's Clot Was Life Threatening

Hillary Clinton's latest health update -- cerebral venous thrombosis -- is a rare and potentially "life-threatening" condition, according to medical experts, but one from which the globe-trotting secretary of state is likely to recover from. In an update from her ...(Jan 1, 2013, ABC News)

LHC bans sale, purchase of Tyno syrup

LAHORE, J(SANA): The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed to stop sale and purchase of deadly Tyno syrup immediately, which caused over two dozen deaths in Punjab. In a petition seeking ban on the deadly syrup, LHC has also issued notices to the ...(Jan 1, 2013, South Asian News Agency)

South Bay's first baby of the New Year was a boy

The first baby born in the South Bay on New Year's Day popped out at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center at 3 seconds after midnight. It was a boy. He weighed 8 pounds and measured 20 inches. The inventory of maternity wards is still continuing, but it ...(Jan 1, 2013, San Jose Mercury News)

'My Healthy Habits' app helps get rid of excuses

Now, that's going to change, she said, with the Indiana University Health "My Healthy Habits" app for the iPhone and other Apple products. "We're on our phones so much, texting, especially the younger people, it's a way to get support with you all the time," ...(Jan 1, 2013, USA TODAY)

Still hungry? It could be that fructose in your drink

The Associated Press4:55p.m. EST January 1, 2013. CommentsShare. Experts say a small study adds evidence that fructose may play a role in overeating. fructose. High-fructose corn syrup is listed as an ingredient on a can of soda. (Photo: Matt Rourke, AP) ...(Jan 1, 2013, USA TODAY)

Recession babies may be more likely to be teen delinquents

The state of the economy during a child's infancy may have an influence on their level of substance abuse and delinquent behavior later in life. Researchers discovered that there was a strong correlation children born during high unemployment rates during ...(Jan 1, 2013, CBS News)

THE Lahore High Court on Tuesday imposed a temporary ban on manufacturing and sale of toxic Tyno cough syrup and sought replies from federal and Punjab governments. Justice Sheikh Najam-ul-Hassan issued this order on miscellaneous application ...(Jan 1, 2013, The News International)

First Babies of 2013 Born in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan

The family of a baby born just after seconds after midnight in Queens on New Year's Day had declared her the first New York City baby of the year -- although two other babies claim to hold the title. Olivia Rose Espinal, called "The Queen of 2013" by her ...(Jan 1, 2013, NBC New York)

Hillary Clinton's Blood Clot Could Have Been Life-Threatening

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reads through documents at the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) summit in Dublin on December 6, 2012. (credit: Kevin Lamarque/AFP/Getty Images) ...(Jan 1, 2013, CBS Local)

More evidence for "obesity paradox"

By Andrew M. Seaman. NEW YORK | Tue Jan 1, 2013 6:12pm EST. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a review of almost 100 past studies covering nearly three million people, researchers found that being overweight or slightly obese was linked to about a 6 ...(Jan 1, 2013, Reuters)

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remained hospitalized Tuesday for treatment of a blood clot in her head, the latest setback in a month of health problems that have confronted the nation's top diplomat as she prepares to leave her post. Neither the State ...(Jan 2, 2013, Wall Street Journal)

Recess during school offers children cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits they don't get through academics alone, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Note that recess allows a space between classes outside of concentrated ...(Jan 2, 2013, MedPage Today)

Drug Approvals Reach 15-Year High on Smoother FDA Reviews

U.S. drug approvals in 2012 reached their highest level in 15 years, led by 11 new cancer therapies, including Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARIA)'s Iclusig and Pfizer Inc.'s Bosulif, both aimed at forms of leukemia. The Food and Drug Administration cleared 39 ...(Jan 2, 2013, Bloomberg)

Primary care doctors growing scarce

Roughly 4 million additional Californians are expected to obtain health insurance by 2014 through the federal health law, an expansion that will likely exacerbate the state's doctor shortage and could even squeeze primary care access in the Bay Area, experts ...(Jan 2, 2013, San Francisco Chronicle)

Some don't take generic due to color

BOSTON, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Most prescriptions dispensed are generics, but while they are the bioequivalent to the brand names, they often differ in shape and color, U.S. researchers say. Dr. Aaron S. Kesselheim, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of ...(Jan 2, 2013, UPI.com)

Why being overweight could be a lifesaver

People who pile on the pounds are less likely to die early than their slender peers, the study found. Researchers said one reason could be that fatter people were more likely to visit the doctor than healthier looking individuals. However, the study, which ...(Jan 2, 2013, Telegraph.co.uk)

Clinton receiving blood thinners to dissolve clot

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton continues to recover in a New York hospital where she's being treated for a blood clot in her head. Her doctors say blood thinners are being used to dissolve the clot and they are confident she ...(Jan 2, 2013, Mohave Valley News)

Seniors with depression may have a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, researchers from University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, reported in Archives of Neurology, Online First. The authors had gathered and examined data on a ...(Jan 2, 2013, Medical News Today)

State trying to make sperm donor pay child support

TOPEKA, Kan. -- A Kansas man who donated sperm to a lesbian couple after answering an online ad is fighting the state's efforts to suddenly force him to pay child support for the now 3-year-old girl, arguing that he and the women signed an agreement ...(Jan 2, 2013, Kansas City Star)

Norovirus: 100000 struck down over Christmas

The Health Protection Agency figures show there have been 3,877 laboratory-confirmed cases so far this autumn and winter - 72 per cent higher than at the same time last season. For every confirmed case, the HPA estimates another 288 go unreported, ...(Jan 2, 2013, Telegraph.co.uk)

An anti-diarrhoea drug, co-developed by Glenmark Pharmaceuticals partnering Salix Pharmaceuticals Inc of the US, has received approval from US drugs regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The peak sales of the drug will be in the region of ...(Jan 2, 2013, Business Today)

'Weight is healthy' study criticised

A study which suggests being overweight can lead to a longer life has caused controversy among obesity experts. One labelled the findings a "pile of rubbish" while another said it was a "horrific message" to put out. The research, in the Journal of the ...(Jan 2, 2013, BBC News)

5 New Year's Resolutions You Won't Keep - And 5 You Will

How do I know? Because in the past 10 years, experts have learned a lot about how we make and break habits, and nine times out of ten we go about it the wrong way. Here are a few of the most common New Year's resolutions that get made year after year ...(Jan 2, 2013, Forbes)

Fructose changes brain to cause overeating, scientists say

Fructose, a common sugar found in the U.S. diet, may cause changes in the brain that trigger a person to overeat, a new brain imaging study shows. After drinking a fructose beverage, the brain doesn't register the same feeling of being full as it does when ...(Jan 2, 2013, CBS News)

As 2013 Begins, Get Ready For An ObamaCare Tax Onslaught

The third wave of ObamaCare taxes began on January 1, the latest blitz before the tsunami of changes from the health overhaul law hit in 2014. These new and higher taxes are being levied to partially pay for ObamaCare's massive new subsidies for private ...(Jan 2, 2013, Forbes)

Second Hit Leaves Young Football Player in Wheelchair

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 2 (HealthDay News) -- After taking a hard hit to the head during a football game, an Indiana high school student suffered severe headaches for the next three days. Following a head CT scan that was normal, his doctor told him to wait to go ...(Jan 2, 2013, U.S. News & World Report)

30 by 30: Why I Resolve To Lose Weight In 2013 (Even Though I Hate ...

30 by 30: Why I Resolve To Lose Weight In 2013 (Even Though I Hate ...(Jan 2, 2013, BlissTree)

New Year's resolution to lose weight? Not so fast - The Star-Ledger

It doesn't, or at least shouldn't, come as a surprise that obesity increases the risk of all kinds of ailments. But what is a bit of a head-turner is a new survey that finds being overweight — not obese, just overweight — actually lowers mortality rates. The analysis ...(Jan 2, 2013, NJ.com)

WASHINGTON | Wed Jan 2, 2013 2:40pm EST. WASHINGTON Jan 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is being treated for a blood clot behind her right ear, has been talking with her staff by telephone and receiving memos, the State ...(Jan 2, 2013, Reuters)

No Extra Death Risk Seen for Moderate Obesity

No Extra Death Risk Seen for Moderate Obesity. By John Gever, Senior Editor, MedPage Today. Published: January 02, 2013. Reviewed by F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE; Instructor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania ...(Jan 2, 2013, MedPage Today)